Friday’s 2A Boys Soccer: Bearcats Edge Rochester in Shootout

Kynan Goldsby hit the game-winner in the overtime shootout, and W.F. West picked up its first win of the season, 4-3, against Rochester on Friday in Evergreen 2A Conference boys soccer action in Chehalis.

The Bearcats, though, had to rally from a 3-1 deficit in the final 20 minutes to reach that shootout.

W.F. West’s Jacob Ford opened the scored in the 38th minute, but Rochester scored three unanswered goals.

Aaron Esquivel struck first, knotting things just before halftime on a free kick. Anthony Vasquez-Valentine then knocked in a free kick, and added another goal when he scored from the top of the box to put Rochester up 3-1 in the 59th minute.

But the Bearcats weren’t finished.

Christian Mathuzima scored in the 62nd minute, and four minutes later Antheny Mendez-Leal knotted the game. With neither team able to take the upper hand, the match went to an overtime shootout.

Goldsby, kicking fifth, hit the winning goal in the shootout, with Aaron Fuller and Edward Guzman also converting penalty kicks in the tiebreaker scenario.

Esquivel and Marcus Ashton converted shootout PKs for Rochester.

“It was a really good game,” Bearcat coach Tino Sanchez said. “I thought we were going to just keep our heads up, which they did, and we came back from a 3-1 deficit. I thought that was really exciting.”

Daniel Ford played well in goal, Sanchez added.

“It was all around a good, evenly-matched game,” Rochester coach Matt Ashton said. “Unfortunately we just let them back in the game.”